If you’re here then you’ve probably Google’d about: what are vitamins a and d good for.
Benefits
Here’s our process. Vitamin D is essential for several reasons, including maintaining healthy bones and teeth. It may also protect against a range of diseases and conditions, such as type 1 diabetes.
Despite its name, vitamin D is not a vitamin, but a prohormone, or precursor of a hormone. Vitamins are nutrients that the body cannot create, and so a person must consume them in the diet.
Deficiency
Although the body can create vitamin D, a deficiency can occur for many reasons.
Causes Skin type: Darker skin, for example, and sunscreen, reduce the body’s ability to absorb the ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) rays from the sun. Absorbing sunlight is essential for the skin to produce vitamin D. Sunscreen: A sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 can reduce the body’s ability to synthesize the vitamin by 95% or more . Geographical location: People who live in northern latitudes or areas of high pollution, work night shifts, or are homebound should aim to consume vitamin D from food sources whenever possible.
Sources of vitamin D Getting sufficient sunlight is the best way to help the body produce enough vitamin D. Plentiful food sources of vitamin D include: fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna
egg yolks
cheese
beef liver
mushrooms
fortified milk
fortified cereals and juices Here, learn how to get more vitamin D from the sun. Dosage People can measure vitamin D intake in micrograms (mcg) or international units (IU). 400 IU (10 mcg).
600 IU (15 mcg). Adults up to 70 years: 600 IU (15 mcg). 600 IU (15 mcg).
800 IU (20 mcg).
Contents
A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults. Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter.
Information: There have been some reports about vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19).
How Is Vitamin D Different From Other Nutrients?
It’s clear that vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium. (5) Calcium absorption allows the body to maintain a sufficient level of that element as well as phosphate, both of which promote the growth and maintenance of healthy, strong bones.
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Rickets is a rare disease in the United States. It is marked by soft and weak bones in children and is typically associated with developing countries, but an inadequate vitamin D level from lack of sun exposure or diet can affect children anywhere in the world, research shows. (7)
Meanwhile, osteomalacia refers to softening of the bones due to vitamin D deficiency.
Its signs include dull, aching pain in the legs, hips, pelvis, ribs, and back, though the condition often doesn’t present symptoms in its early stages, the Mayo Clinic notes. (8)
Osteoporosis is one of the main causes of fractures and broken bones in the elderly. The Mayo Clinic says this bone disease results when the cycle of new bone creation and old bone loss becomes unbalanced and more bone is lost than created.
Women who are past menopause are at the highest risk of osteoporosis, and as with osteomalacia, people with osteoporosis are often asymptomatic when the disease is in its early stages. (9)
Given these facts, it’s no wonder that vitamin D supplements have long been touted as good for bone health. One thing to note: The researchers did exclude the treatment of rickets and osteomalacia from their conclusions about the benefits of supplementation.